Princess of the Kingdom of the Dragons
by AnimeLoverHaruka
Summary: There is a kingdom feared even by the Ninja Villages. It is the Kingdom of the Dragons. A kingdom that is protected by dragons. Only the royalty and priestesses can summon them but they protect those in need. Sorry bad summary but the story is better.
1. Chapter 1

**Note:** So Konoha's back to normal. They beat Madara and Sasuke's good again. So it is now a peaceful place.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot and the characters I may create.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

When Tenten arrived home from her tiring mission she saw a letter addressed to her. When she saw the seal on the letter she quickly opened it up. She knew that it would be something serious if that person would send her a letter with the seal on it. She read the letter and went pale. When she finished reading it she quickly made her way to her bedroom and packed some clothes and other necessities for travel. When she finished packing she took the letter, put it in her pocket and made her way to the Hokage's office as quickly as possible.

When she arrived at the office the Hokage, Tsunade, looked up at her. "What do you need?" she asked.

"I want to leave Konoha for a while," Tenten replied.

"Would it have something to do with this letter?" Tsunade asked her as she held up a letter with the same seal on it.

"Yes," Tenten said.

"That person is quite smart he sent me a letter so that you would be able to leave more easily and quickly," Tsunade said.

"So would it be alright?" Tenten asked her.

"Of course but I want to know when you will be back," the Hokage replied.

"I don't know if the situation is like what he says then I will probably not be back for a long time. There's a possibility I will be staying there for more than half a year or more than a year even," Tenten said.

"I see," Tsunade said.

"May I ask something from you?" Tenten asked the blonde woman sitting in front of her.

"Sure," Tsunade said.

"Can you tell my teammates and friends that will be gone for a long time? You can tell them that I went on a mission but please do not tell them the truth that is stated in that letter," Tenten said.

"Alright," Tsunade said.

"Thank you, I must go now I have to leave as soon as possible," Tenten said. She left quickly making sure that she would not see any of her friends because she knew that they would delay her departure and she needed to leave as soon as possible.

When she got to her house she double-checked to see that she had everything. When she was sure she had everything she looked around the house to make sure that nothing was wrong. After that was done she headed for the door, opened it and went outside. She looked at the place she had called home for several years and with that she closed the door and made sure it was securely locked. She then made her way to the gates and with a goodbye to the guards made her way to her destination.

**~~~~~With Her Team~~~~~**

Lee and Guy with Neji who was dragged with them made their way to Tenten's apartment. Lee loudly knocked on her door but there was no response. He knocked several more times but again no response. "It seems that young Tenten is not here," Guy said.

"Maybe she went with Sakura, Ino, and them," Neji suggested.

"Yosh! Let's look for her then," Lee said. Guy agreed with his student and Neji sighed as his teammates and sensei's antics. He followed them as they went to look for the girls.

They spotted Ino and Sakura at a dango shop eating. Sakura was the first to see them. "What are you guys doing?" she asked.

"Were looking for our team's youthful flower," Lee replied.

"You're looking for Tenten what for?" Ino asked.

"We were planning to youthfully eat together as a team!" Guy replied.

"Do you guys know where she is?" Neji asked calmly.

"No but why don't you go check if she's with Hinata. They're good friends," Sakura said.

"Thank you," Neji said politely. He and his team then went to look for his cousin.

When they found Hinata she was at Ichiraku's ramen shop with Naruto. "Hinata-sama," Neji politely greeted.

"Neji-nii-san," Hinata greeted.

"Neji, Bushy brows, and Guy-sensei what are you guys doing?" Naruto asked in his own cheerful manner.

"We're looking for Tenten. Have you seen her anywhere?" Neji said.

"No, I haven't seen her all day but I know she came back from her mission," Hinata replied.

"That's strange I was sure that she was with one of you girls. She wasn't with Sakura and Ino either," Neji said.

"Why don't we go ask Tsunade-sama?" Hinata suggested. Everyone agreed to that and they made their way to the Hokage's office.

When they arrived they knocked on the door. When they heard a come in they went inside.

"What are all you guys doing here?" she asked Neji, Lee, Guy, Naruto, and Hinata.

"We were wondering if you knew where Tenten was," Naruto said.

"I know where she is," Tsunade replied.

"Really! Where is our youthful flower?" Guy asked.

"She went on a mission," Tsunade told them.

"But she just got back from a mission," Hinata said.

"Yes, but something came up and she was the best one for it," Tsunade lied smoothly.

After that explanation everyone said thank you to the Hokage and left. They wondered when Tenten would be back.

**~~~~~Tenten's Location~~~~~**

Tenten decided to rest since she knew that she would collapse if she went any further.

_I have to get there soon,_ she thought.

She was extremely tired because she was going full speed for more than four hours and she didn't have any rest from her previous mission. She sighed and decided to make a place to sleep.

_Just a little bit more and I will be back to that place. I wonder how Hayate, Akiko, Daiki, Megumi, and Takumi are. I hope they're alright_, were the thoughts in her head as she went to sleep.

The next morning she ate breakfast and put her stuff away as quickly as possible. When she was finished she went full speed to her location. She knew that she only had four or more hours to her destination and she wanted to get there as soon as possible.

**~~~~~Four Hours Later~~~~~**

Tenten saw the city but most of all she saw the place in the center of the city, her destination. She made her way there thinking how nostalgic it was to walk around in the city after so long.

_It's been a long time since then. Although it is somewhat cheerful still I can feel a little bit of gloom it seems they know of what is happening, _she thought.

When she arrived at her destination she took a deep breath and went forward.

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><p><strong>AN: **This is my second fanfic my first one is a Katekyo Hitman Reborn one. So if you're a KHR fan go check that out. I hope you liked this.

This will mostly be a NejiTen fic but there will be other couples. Also Hinata's not stuttering because she fixed that a while after the war.

Please review I want to know if you guys liked this or not.

**Revised: 9-3-12**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot, the Kingdom of the Dragons, and any characters that I may create.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Tenten took a step toward the entrance but the guards there stopped her.

"You are not allowed to enter unless you have permission," one of them said.

"I do have permission," Tenten said as she took out the letter that she had been given. When the guard looked and read the letter he quickly bowed and said, "I'm sorry my lady, please go on ahead." He and the other guard then opened the first gate of the palace. Tenten went inside and continued on to the next gate showing them the letter. When she finally reached the main palace door she showed her letter one last time and she went inside.

_The security measures sure were annoying. It seems that most of the guards are new if they didn't recognize me,_ Tenten thought. She then made her way to the throne room.

When she reached the throne room the guards there immediately recognized her and opened the door.

_Well at least they're not new but then again that person wouldn't trust anybody new to guard the important places, _Tenten thought.

She looked at the throne. It was made of gold with engraved dragons rising up from the side. It had many precious jewels as well. She saw the person she was looking for sitting on it. The other throne was similar in style to the other one but it was slightly smaller and it was empty.

"I have come back, Otou-sama," Tenten said as she kneeled several feet in front of the throne.

"I'm glad that you came back Tenten. Please rise and come to me," the king, Tatsuo, said. Tenten did as she was told and went to approach her father. He gave her a hug.

"How is Okaa-sama?" she asked when her father let her go.

"Why don't we go and see her together," her father replied. Then both of them went to where her mother was.

Tenten was nervous for she had not seen her mother for a while. The last time she saw her mother were when the youngest pair of twins was born almost a year ago. She entered the room along with her father. She saw her mother in bed and approached her.

"Okaa-sama, I'm back," she said.

"Welcome back my dear. You've grown far more beautiful than before," her mother said as she looked at Tenten.

"How are you feeling?" Tenten asked her.

"I feel bad but I will most likely be alright," her mother replied.

"I see, do you need me to help with something?" Tenten asked her.

"Can you please take care of the younger ones and please take care of the priestess duties since you will be the next one," the queen, Reiko, told her.

"Alright," Tenten said.

"You must be tired go and rest. Then you can do what I told you," Reiko said. Tenten did as her mother told. She left and headed to her room.

When she reached her room Tenten looked around she saw that it was the same as always. She decided to take a bath first and then take a nap. She had the bath prepared and went to get her clothes ready. She took her hair out of their signature buns to reveal long knee length wavy brown hair. When the servant came in to tell her that the bath was ready she went.

After the bath Tenten was more relaxed and she decided that after her nap she would look for her siblings. Then after that she would go to the Prayer Room to make sure that the barriers were fine. When everything was planned out she slowly drifted off to sleep.

**~~~~~Konoha~~~~~**

Since Ino was bored she decided to invite the others to a get together. She also knew that the Kazekage and his siblings were in Konoha and so she invited them as well. They were going to have it at the barbeque restaurant that they usually ate at.

That night all the Konoha Twelve minus Tenten and the Sand Siblings were there.

"Hey where's Tenten?" Temari asked. She and Tenten had become close friends since the Chunin exams.

"She's out on a mission," Neji replied. Everyone was talking about how it would be great if Tenten had been there. They didn't know what type of mission Tenten was on and when she would be back. They talked about some of their memories and all the sorts of trouble that they been in. That was how the Konoha Twelve's and the Sand Siblings night went.

**~~~~~Dragon's Palace~~~~~**

Tenten had woken up and she saw that it was already dusk she dragged herself off of her bed and changed into some of her clothes. The clothes she wore were a light purple Chinese style dress and matching shoes. She let hair fall simply down her back.

_I don't really like wearing these but I'm a princess and it would be improper if I wore the clothes that I wear in Konoha,_ Tenten thought. She then made her way around the palace trying to look for any signs of her siblings.

When she finally found them they were in the family room.

"Tenten-nee-sama," Akiko cried out as she saw Tenten. She and her younger twin brother Daiki ran up to her and tackled her in a hug.

"We really missed you," the twins said in unison.

"I missed you guys too," Tenten said. They got off of Tenten and a young man approached her.

"Nice to see that your back Tenten," the man said.

"Nice to be back Hayate-_nii-sama_," Tenten said saying the last part a little childishly. She went up and hugged the man. He was her elder twin brother by only five minutes. The young man had straight black hair and black eyes and was like a replica of their father. Whereas Tenten was like a replica of their mother and the younger ones were a mixture of their parents. Akiko the older one of the other pair of twins had brown hair like their mother but it was straight like their father's and black eyes like their father. The younger one, Daiki, had straight black hair like their father and brown eyes like their mother. Tenten then approached the little play area where she saw her youngest pair of siblings. Megumi and Takumi had just turned a year old three months ago. They were adorable and they were the youngest of the royal children. Megumi had black hair that was wavy and brown eyes. On the other hand Takumi had wavy brown hair and black eyes. They were both reaching up to Tenten wanting to be carried.

"Did you miss me?" Tenten asked picking up Megumi.

Megumi said some baby talk; Tenten kissed her forehead, and put her back in the play area. She then picked up Takumi talking to him for a bit and then kissing him on the forehead. She then put him down and turned to the other ones and said, "I'll be in the prayer room but I'll see you guys at dinner." After saying her goodbyes to her siblings Tenten made her way to the Prayer Room.

On her way to the prayer room Tenten spotted Doushi. Doushi was her father's eldest council member. Tenten didn't like him very much since he always seemed to try and order her father about. However, her father was not a very easy person to order about.

"I see that you're back Tenten-hime," Doushi said.

"Yes, Otou-sama sent me a letter saying that Okaa-sama was extremely sick and that he needed me to come back," Tenten replied.

"Where are you headed now?" Doushi asked.

"I'm going to the Prayer Room to make sure that the barriers are fine," she told him.

"Well then, I shall see you later hime-sama," Doushi said. He then left and Tenten continued to make her way to the Prayer Room.

The Prayer Room was a room that was designed for the priestesses to be able to concentrate, pray, or make sure that the barriers were alright. The barriers were built to keep Dark Creatures out. The barriers around the capital city and the palace were maintained by the main priestess. The main priestesses are born through a single clan's main family. The person who becomes the main priestess is the female child that has the most powerful holy energy. Tenten's mother was born of that clan's main family and she was the most powerful female child of her generation. The child of the previous priestess that has the most power will become the next priestess. Tenten was that child for her generation and since her mother was ill it fell upon her to manage the barriers. When she was sure that the barriers were fine she left and went to the dining area knowing that it was time for dinner.

Tenten enjoyed dinner with her family especially since it had been more than a year since she last ate a meal with them. She fed the youngest set of twins. The only thing that was missing from their family dinner was their mother who was too sick to even leave her bed. After dinner everyone went to go see their mother and since they knew that the illness wasn't contagious the younger ones were allowed to go. They spent a long time in the queen's room and then it was time for the children to go to sleep. Tenten put the youngest ones to sleep first and then she put the other ones to sleep. After she finished she herself went to her room and went to sleep.

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><p><strong>AN: **How did you guys like that?

So far I've decided that the couples will be NaruHina, SasuSaku, ShikaTema, and KibaIno. I'm sorry to those who wanted ShikaIno but I wanted to have ShikaTema. Don't worry though the other couples besides NejiTen will most likely not have much showtime since I'll be focusing on NejiTen since this is a NejiTen fic. Again I'm sorry ShikaIno fans.

I love to hear from you guys so please review but no flames please. Although I welcome constructive criticism.

**Revised: 9-3-12**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot, the Kingdom of the Dragons, and any characters I may create.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

It had been almost a month since Tenten came back to the Kingdom of Dragons. Her mother's health had been slowly deteriorating. Tenten fell into a habit: she took care of the younger children; she made sure that the barriers were fine and no creatures of darkness were within the city or palace, she and Hayate helped their father with paperwork, they also went to survey the city sometimes, and they would sometimes attend the council meetings. Although she was home with her family Tenten couldn't help but miss Konoha.

That night Tenten took a stroll in the garden. Her mother loved flowers when her mother and father married her father had many flowers planted in the garden. One of Tenten's favorite was the Dragon's Blossom that grew only in the Kingdom of the Dragons. It was red flower with orange spots or stripes here and there. The flower lived for almost half a year unpicked, it could also live three months after it is picked, and it could be used as medicine to heal wounds or many illnesses.

_But it can't cure Okaa-sama's illness,_ Tenten thought. Tenten strolled around for a while more then went back to her room to go to sleep.

**~~~~~Earlier That Same Day on Konoha~~~~~**

The Konoha Twelve and Sai were all at the park. They were talking and then Ino asked, "Is Tenten back from her mission yet?"

"No," Neji replied.

"She's been gone for almost a month now," Hinata said.

"Let's go see Grandma Tsunade and ask when Tenten will be back," Naruto suggested.

"That's youthfully good idea Naruto-kun," Lee said. Everyone agreed with Naruto's plan and they all went to the Hokage's office.

When they reached the Hokage's office they heard the Hokage telling them to come in and they did.

"What do you guys want?" the Hokage asked them.

"We want to know when Tenten will be back, master," Sakura told her.

"I don't really know when she will be back, few days, few weeks, few months, or maybe even a few years," the Hokage told them.

"You don't know when she'll be back?" Naruto asked her.

"Yeah, this mission does not really have a set time to complete," the Hokage told them.

"Well, when you learn when she will be back can you tell us?" Ino asked her.

"Sure, now get out I have paperwork to finish," Tsunade told them.

"We're sorry for the interruption," everyone said.

When all of them left Tsunade looked out at the sky and thought, _It's getting harder to lie for you Tenten. I hope you get back here soon._

She then went back to her paperwork.

**~~~~~A Week Later Kingdom of the Dragons~~~~~**

Tenten, her siblings, and their father were gathered around their mother's bed. Everyone in the room was crying. Tenten was trying to comfort her younger siblings and Hayate was doing the same thing but they both had tears rolling down their cheeks. After several minutes her father ordered everyone out. He also told a servant to go and get things ready for a funeral. Tenten brought the youngest twins, Megumi and Takumi, to their rooms and put them to sleep. Once she was sure they were sleeping she went to Daiki's room. She also told him to take a nap and once she was sure he was sleeping she went to Megumi's room. She did the same thing she did with the others and put her to sleep. After checking once more on the younger ones she went to the garden. She went to the gazebo in the middle of the garden. She sat down and broke down in sobs. She then noticed that somebody was approaching. After a while she recognized the presence as her elder twin brother's. She felt him sit down next to her and she felt him give her a hug.

"This place has a lot of memories for us doesn't it?" he asked Tenten.

"We used to play around in the gardens with Okaa-sama and Otou-sama watching us," Hayate continued.

Tenten wiped her tears away and said, "We would make crowns made of flowers and we would put them on Okaa-sama's and Otou-sama's head."

"I remember Okaa-sama teaching us about which flowers were helpful and which to avoid," Hayate said. Tenten smiled as the memories came flooding back to her.

Then a servant came telling them that the King wanted to see them. Tenten and Hayate went to the throne room and there they saw their father. "I will announce the Queen's death today and you two will be with me," he told them.

"Hai, Otou-sama," both of them said in unison. They both excused themselves to go and get ready for the announcement. From each of their rooms Tenten and Hayate could hear the gongs signaling that the King had to make an announcement. When they finished changing both Tenten and Hayate went to the balcony where their father would make the announcement. There they saw the people gathering after several minutes their father moved to the front of the balcony. Everyone quieted down when they saw the King. Once everyone was quiet the king used a jutsu that could project his voice extremely loud. "I have very terrible news. Today my beloved wife, Queen Reiko, has passed away," he said. Upon hearing that news the people were mourning for their beloved queen's death. Many of the people were crying. After a little bit more words the King went left the balcony. The people dispersed still mourning for the loss of their beloved queen.

**~~~~~In the Throne Room~~~~~**

King Tatsuo was sitting on his throne with Tenten and Hayate on either side of him. The council members were standing in front of them. They talked about what a tragedy it was that they queen died at the young age of 35. They were also talking about the funeral preparations.

"I wish to invite the Kages and clan leaders of the Hidden Ninja Villages as well as the royal family of the Kingdom of the Sky," King Tatsuo said.

"Are you sure that it is a wise idea to invite the Kages and clan leaders of the Hidden Ninja Villages, my king?" Doushi asked.

"It will be fine," the king replied. Everyone agreed after a while.

"A messenger must be sent to deliver the news to the Hidden Ninja Villagers," the king said.

"I can take care of that, Otou-sama," Tenten volunteered.

"Thank you Tenten," her father said.

"I will personally go to the Kingdom of the Sky to deliver the message since the princes and the princesses are childhood friends of mine and Tenten," Hayate volunteered.

"Alright you will have an escort when you go to the Kingdom of the Sky and when you and the royals head here we will ask Konoha and Suna to escort you back. Of course we will pay for it as an A-rank mission," the king said. When everything was settled everyone went their own ways.

Tenten went to her siblings' to check up on them as soon as they finished. She saw that all of them were still asleep. After making they were alright she went to her room to plan what to right in the messages. She also thought of how everyone would think about her when they learned she was a princess.

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><p><strong>AN: **I'm sorry for the late update I have been very busy this week. I've had a lot of homework from school and every Saturday I have voice and piano lessons. This Saturday I only had a little bit of time on the computer since I went to a party. I also have another story I have to write so I'm really sorry for the late update.

Please review. I love to know what you guys thought of my story.

**Revised: 9-3-12**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot, the characters that I created and may create, and the Kingdom of the Dragons.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Tenten had all the invitations to the funeral prepared. She made sure that there was enough for the all the Hidden Ninja Villages. Once everything was double-checked Tenten went to go look for messengers that could be sent to deliver the messages. Once she had selected she assigned each of them a Village. Once all the messages had been sent Tenten only had to wait.

Tenten, Akiko, Daiki, Megumi, and Takumi along with their father were at the front gates of the palace to greet Hayate a safe trip. He and his escorts would be going to the Kingdom of the Sky's capital city which was where the Kingdom of the Sky's royal lived. The journey would only be three days on horseback.

They watched Hayate leave until they couldn't see him anymore. Akiko and Daiki went to their lessons. While Tenten put Megumi and Takumi to sleep. Once they were asleep Tenten went to train.

**~~~~~Several Days Later-Konoha~~~~~**

Tsunade looked at the messenger that was before her. He handed her a letter with the Kingdom of the Dragon's royal family's seal. She read the letter and asked, "So the clan heads and any others who I bring along are welcome?"

"Yes," the messenger said.

"As we travel there we have to pick up the prince and the Kingdom of the Sky's royal family?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, King Tatsuo will pay you for your service once you and reach the palace. It will be paid for as an A-rank mission as stated in the letter. You will also be working with Suna on the mission," the messenger replied.

"Alright, tell your king that Konoha will come and we accept the mission," Tsunade said. The messenger nodded and he left saying that he would go back to deliver the message.

**~~~~~Kingdom of the Dragons' Royal Palace~~~~~**

The messengers that had been sent to the Hidden Ninja Villages had returned and told the king and his family that they would be attending. The ones that went to Konoha and Suna also said that they accepted the mission. As Tenten heard the messengers report she was nervous because she had a feeling the Konoha Twelve, Sai, their senseis, and the Sand Siblings would be coming. She was not looking forward to them figuring out that she was a princess. Although she was happy that she would see them after almost a month. They had also received a message from Hayate in the Kingdom of the Sky saying that the royal family would attend. Tenten was happy since she had not seen her childhood friends for a long time.

After the reports of the messengers Tenten went to the Prayer Room to check up on the barriers. Once she was sure everything was alright she went to the Purification Grounds. The Purification Grounds was a waterfall with a little pool at the bottom it was surrounded by peach and cherry blossom trees as well as Dragon's Blossom all around it. It circular in shape and covered several meters of land. Only the priestesses and occasionally the royal family were allowed inside the grounds. Tenten liked going under the waterfall of the grounds it helped her relax and think. It was also the time when she saw the future best as well as realize many things.

She took off her clothing and went under the waterfall just as always she thought of something. _Okaa-sama was never really a sickly person. It was rare for to fall ill and even if she did she would recover quickly. Hayate told me that Okaa-sama just fell ill all of a sudden and soon she was bedridden. Something's not right here and I need to figure it out. I want to see if I can sense any poison in Okaa-sama's body, _she thought. Tenten dried and changed. She then went to where her mother's body was held.

When she saw her mother's body she thought that her mother looked like she was sleeping but she knew that her mother was gone. She closed her eyes and concentrated on searching for any traces of poison in her mother's body. She quickly opened her eyes after a while.

_It's as I thought there are traces of poison in Okaa-sama's body. She was poisoned by somebody but for what? I need to tell Otou-sama, _Tenten thought. She quickly left the room and headed for the office connected to the throne room where she knew her father must have been.

Tenten knocked on her father's door and when she heard a come in she went in. Her father looked up and saw her, he said, "Tenten what do you need?"

"I want to talk about Okaa-sama's death," Tenten said and she put up a barrier that prevented eavesdropping on the room.

"Why?" her father asked.

"Her death wasn't because of an illness," Tenten said.

"What do you mean?" the king asked.

"When I was in the Purification Grounds the thought of how Okaa-sama never really got seriously ill and so I decided to see if I could sense any traces of poison in Okaa-sama's body and there was. It wasn't an illness that killed her it was poison," Tenten said.

"Are you sure of this?" he asked. Tenten nodded her head.

"Then I believe you. Do not tell anyone but Hayate of this. We will try to find the person who poisoned Reiko. During dinner make sure that none of the food is poisoned especially yours and your siblings' food. Also make sure that you put some barriers around the children so that they will be protected from danger," he told her.

"Understood, Otou-sama," Tenten said. After that Tenten dispelled the barrier and went to the children's room. She did as her father told and put some barriers around their room and bed especially. She also cast a protection spell on them to make sure they were safe even if they weren't in their rooms. During dinner she made sure there was no poison in the food. As she went to sleep she thought, _I hope we find Okaa-sama's killer soon and I hope that the guests won't be involved in this._

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><p><strong>AN: **Sorry for the late update. I have been really busy this week. I've had a lot of homework and projects to do. I also have voice and piano lessons on Saturdays.

Anyway please review. I love to know what you guys thought of my story and the reviews really motivate me.

**Revised: 9-3-12**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot and the characters I create or have created.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**~~~~~Konoha Front Gates~~~~~**

Tsunade looked at the people assembled before her. The people were the Konoha Twelve minus Tenten plus Sai, their senseis, the clan leaders of the Hyuuga, Nara, Inuzuka, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Aburame clans as well as her assistant Shizune. The Kazekage of Suna, Gaara, was there as well as his siblings, Temari and Kankuro. All of them were there for the mission to escort the royal family of the Kingdom of the Sky and the crown prince of the Kingdom of the Dragons. "Is everyone ready?" Tsunade asked. She received a chorus of yeses. Then she ordered them to move out. It would take them about two days to reach the capital of the Kingdom of the Sky and then about two more days to reach the Kingdom of the Dragons.

**~~~~~Two Days Later-Kingdom of the Sky~~~~~**

The Konoha and Suna group arrived at the Kingdom of the Sky's capital. When they reached the palace the youngsters were awed by the many beautiful decorations there. They were led to the throne room where the royal family was waiting. When they entered they bowed down. "Please stand," the king said. The king was a young man no older than twenty-five with dark blue hair and eyes.

"My name is Atsushi and I thank you for coming to escort us to the Kingdom of the Dragons," he said.

"You are welcome. My name is Tsunade and I am the Hokage of Konoha," Tsunade said. The others also introduced themselves.

"It is a wonderful pleasure to meet you. It is time for you to meet the other ones that you will be escorting," the king said when they finished with the introductions. The king led them to the garden where they noticed two young men, along with three young women, and a little girl. The one of the young men and one of the young women looked to be about nineteen. The other young man looked to be about seventeen. The other two women looked to be in their twenties. When Atsushi called to them they looked and stood up. Two of the young woman and the younger man had the same dark blue hair and eyes as the king. The other woman had lavender colored hair and eyes. The little girl had the same hair color as the women but the same eyes as the king.

"My name is Hayate and I am the crown prince of the Kingdom of the Dragons," the young man with black hair eyes said introducing himself

"My name is Hiroshi and I am a prince of the Kingdom of the Sky," said the young man next to the prince of the Kingdom of the Dragons.

"My name is Mayumi and I am a princess of this kingdom," the young woman who looked to be the same age as Hayate said.

"My name is Satomi and I am the princess of this kingdom," the older woman with the same hair and eyes as the king said.

"My name is Natsuki and I am the wife of Atsushi," the young woman with lavender hair said and then pointed to the little girl she said, "That is our three year old daughter, Eriko."

The Konoha and Suna group also introduced themselves again.

"When will we be leaving?" Tsunade asked.

"We will be leaving tomorrow," Atsushi said. The ninjas were led to their rooms where they would be sleeping for the night.

**~~~~~Next Day~~~~~**

The royal family, the ninjas, and the prince of the Kingdom of the Dragons made their way began their journey to the latter's home. During the journey the teenagers stayed together.

"Hayate-ouji-sama," Kiba said.

"Yes?" Hayate asked.

"Do you have any siblings?" Kiba asked.

"Yes, I do. I have a younger twin sister, two younger brothers, and two younger sisters," Hayate replied.

"Really, how old are they?" Ino asked.

"All of us were born as twins, a boy and a girl. The younger ones after my twin sister and I are only six years old. The youngest ones are only two years old," Hayate answered.

"Those are big age differences," Kiba stated.

"Yes, Otou-sama and Okaa-sama were married when they were only sixteen years old," the prince replied.

"They sure were young," Kankuro said.

"My grandfather died when Otou-sama was sixteen so Otou-sama had to ascend the throne. He fell in love with Okaa-sama about two years before and they had been dating for about a year when that happened. Since they needed an heir to ascend the throne should something happen to my father, him and Okaa-sama were married only several days after father was crowned. Nine months after their marriage my twin and I were born," Hayate explained.

"Was your mother of noble blood?" Shino asked.

"I guess in a sense," Hayate replied.

"What do you mean?" Temari asked.

"My mother was the High Priestess of the kingdom. The priestesses, especially those of the blood of the High Priestess, are treated highly because they keep up our kingdom's barriers. The barriers are unnoticeable by normal humans but since you guys are ninja you might be able to feel a trace of its presence," Hayate said.

"Really, I didn't know you guys had barriers around your youthful kingdom," Lee said.

"It is not something as well-known as the royal family's ability to summon dragons," Mayumi said answering for Hayate.

"Is that true? I mean the summoning dragons part," Naruto asked.

"Yes, everyone that belongs in the royal family is capable of summoning a dragon," Hayate said.

"It's a really cool thing to watch the dragons. They are really beautiful," Hiroshi said.

"I would love to see that," all the young ninjas said.

"Maybe you will, sometime," Hayate said. The young ones continued to chat.

**~~~~~Two Days Later- Kingdom of the Dragons Royal Palace~~~~~**

Tenten was taking care of her younger siblings when she felt her brother's presence enter the city barriers' limits. When she felt it she told Akiko and Daiki to get themselves ready to welcome guests and their elder brother. She changed Megumi and Takumi and when they were ready she went to inform her father. Once her father was informed she made sure that Akiko and Daiki were ready then told them to go to the doors of the palace. She held Megumi's and Takumi's hand leading them to the doors as well.

**~~~~~With Neji and the Others~~~~~**

As they entered the city limits Neji felt a strong energy and he saw the others felt it too.

"Did you guys feel that?" Hayate asked.

"Yes," everyone replied.

"That was my sister's barrier. It's actually stronger than Okaa-sama's. My sister is known to be the most powerful High Priestess since the first High Priestess herself. She is also known as the most powerful dragon summoner since the first king himself," Hayate said.

"Truth be told because of her strong power many people want her to become queen but my sister prefers being a priestess. She says that she just wants to live a peaceful life with somebody she loves," he added.

When they entered the city the people bowed and greeted their prince. Hayate smiled and waved at them saying hello and thank you when he needed to. He even approached some of the people who had beckoned him over. To this the ninjas were sort of surprised this would allow the prince to be easily hurt if a person decided to hurt him. However, Hayate didn't seem to care about getting hurt he seemed to care more for his people. Many of them had given him a flower asking for him to put them on the queen's coffin for them. Hayate told them that he would do as they wanted. Once they reached the palace gates the guards bowed and opened the gates for the group.

As the group approached the gates they saw five people waiting there for them. The tallest figure was a female wearing a beautiful purple kimono with her right hand holding a little boy and her left hand holding a little girl. Her long wavy brown hair was cascading down her back. There was another boy and girl standing at the far side of either side of her. As they approached the figures the ninjas except Tsunade were shocked because standing in the middle of the other four was…

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><p><strong>AN: **How did you like this chapter? I guess you guys know who the person in the middle is.

Please don't forget review. I love to know what you guys thought of my story.

**Revised: 10-13-12**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot and the characters that I create.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

The ninjas couldn't believe their eyes, standing in the middle was Tenten. She was dressed in a beautiful light purple kimono. Her hair was cascading down her back with two tiny groups of her hair tied behind her head with a light purple flower that matched her kimono. **(Sorry I don't know most of the names of hairstyles.)**

"I welcome you all to our home," Tenten said as she bowed. Everyone's mouth was open and they were finding it hard to find the right words to say.

"Tenten, I think they're shocked," Mayumi said. Tenten looked at her friends nervous at what they would say.

"Oh my gosh, Tenten you look beautiful," Ino said breaking the silence.

"Thank you Ino," Tenten said.

"Are you really Tenten?" Kiba asked.

"Yes I'm Tenten and I am the eldest princess of the Kingdom of the Dragons, twin sister to the crown prince," Tenten replied. The others started talking to Tenten commenting on her looks and asking why she kept the fact that she was a princess a secret.

"We have enough time to chat later but my father wants to see the clan heads, the Hokage, and the Kazekage," Tenten said.

"Hayate-nii-sama welcome home!" Akiko and Daiki exclaimed. They both ran up to him and tackled him in a hug.

"I'm home you guys," Hayate said. Takumi and Megumi also went up to him when Tenten let go of their hands.

"They're adorable, who are they?" Hinata said.

"They are mine and Hayate's younger siblings," Tenten said.

"Why don't you two introduce yourselves," she told the twins.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Akiko," Akiko said.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Daiki," Daiki said.

Then pointing to Megumi Tenten said, "That's Megumi." She then pointed to Takumi, "And that's Takumi."

After the introduction of the younger ones Tenten led everyone to the throne room where King Tatsuo was waiting for his guests. As they headed to the throne room they met Doushi.

"I see that our ninja guests are here," he said.

"Yes," Tenten said.

"I do not like them here. We should send them back after they are paid," Doushi said.

"You are not the king, Doushi. It does not fall upon you to send them away. It falls upon our father. Although, you and the other council members can veto father's ideas if the majority disagree but when father presented the idea of inviting them here nobody but you opposed. Whether you like them or not they are our guests and they will be treated nicely," Tenten said.

"It is as Tenten says; you do not have the power to overturn father's order. If you do not like them then you may leave now," Hayate said.

"Perhaps it was sort of out of my power to say that please forgive me Tenten-hime-sama, Hayate-ouji-sama," Doushi replied and left.

"I really hate him. He thinks that because he is the oldest council member he can order us what to do. Even though we're just princes and princesses we still have a higher power than him," Tenten said as soon as Doushi was out of hearing range.

"I agree with you. There are even times where he tells Otou-sama what to do," Hayate said as everyone started walking again.

"I'm guessing you don't like that guy," Kankuro said.

"I'm pretty sure that none of the council members actually like him," Tenten said. After that nobody asked anymore about Doushi. They arrived at the doors to the throne room and entered.

"Otou-sama, I brought our guests as you asked," Tenten said.

"Thank you, Tenten," King Tatsuo said. Then to Hayate he said, "Welcome back Hayate."

"I'm back Otou-sama," Hayate said.

"I welcome you all to the Kingdom of the Dragons and I thank you for escorting my son and the royal family of the Kingdom of the Sky here. My name is Tatsuo," King Tatsuo said addressing the Konoha and Suna ninjas.

"Thank you for the welcome, King Tatsuo. I am Tsunade and I am the Hokage of Konoha." Tsunade said. After that everyone began to introduce themselves.

"Tenten, I wish to talk to the Kages and clan leaders in private," Tatsuo said.

"Yes, Otou-sama, you guys come with me," Tenten said. She led the others out of the throne room and to the garden.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Hinata said.

"It is, I've never seen so many flowers and plants in one place and I live in a flower shop," Ino said.

"My mother loved flowers so she had many of these planted here," Tenten said.

"I see," Hinata said. Ino looked at the flowers around and recognized most of them. She spotted a red flower with orange spots and stripes. She had never seen or heard of a flower like this; it was a beautiful and breathtaking.

"Tenten, what's the name of this flower?" Ino asked pointing to it.

"That is the Dragon's Blossom. It is a flower that grows only in this kingdom. It is used as medicine to heal wounds and it can also cure some illnesses. It can even be used as an antidote for poison. It can live up to four months after is it picked," Tenten explained.

_If we knew Okaa-sama's so called illness was poisoning maybe we could have saved her or at least delayed her death_, Tenten thought.

"Really? It must be a really handy flower," Naruto commented.

"It is, actually this flower is on our royal seal," Tenten informed them.

"It is believed that the flower is a gift from the dragons to us," Hayate added.

"Why is that?" Shino asked.

"The Dragon's Blossom can survive for more than one month without water and can't be set on fire," Tenten told them.

"It's an extremely youthful flower," Lee said. Tenten saw her father and the others approaching.

"Tenten, Hayate, can you lead the ninjas to their rooms? I will watch over the younger ones while you're gone. Once they are settled let's meet back here," the king said.

"Yes, Otou-sama," Tenten and Hayate said. They lead the ninjas and the royal of the Kingdom of the Sky to the wing meant for guests and assigned each of them a room. Since the members of the royal family of the Kingdom of the Sky visited the Kingdom of the Dragons often they already had rooms that were meant for them. Once everyone was settled they went back to the garden where the King Tatsuo was waiting.

At the garden they talked about miscellaneous things. The Konoha Twelve was asking Tenten questions about the Kingdom of the Dragons and they also asked Tenten questions as to why she didn't tell them she was a princess. Suddenly, Tenten felt the presence of evil she sent a mental message to her father and twin brother. _I sense something bad coming_, she sent.

_How far away is it?_ Her father asked.

_It will get here in less than a minute, _Tenten told him and Hayate. Just as Tenten said there was black fog just in front of the group.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **How did you guys like that chapter? I really stink at describing hairstyles sometimes and I don't know the name of several hairstyles so forgive me.

Don't forget to leave a review. I love to know what my readers think of my stories and reviews give me inspiration and motivation.

**Revised: 10-13-12**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot and the characters that I create.

**A Note of Thanks:** Thank you very much to those who reviewed my story. The reviews really give me motivation. I hope you will keep on reviewing.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

"You guys get back!" Tenten told her friends. They did as they were told. The black fog in front of them began to change form and when it finished it were three wolves that were six feet in height.

"How did that get through the barrier?" Hayate asked.

"I didn't feel it entering so it must have been summoned by someone inside the barrier," Tenten told her brother.

"What is that thing?" Sakura asked.

"A Creature of Darkness, the barriers keep them out. They cannot get in unless they are summoned or they break the barrier but I didn't feel any break," Tenten told them.

"You guys get back you can't take them on," Hayate ordered.

"We can fight them," Naruto said.

"Jutsus don't work on these creatures unless you have a special tag, Naruto," Tenten told him.

"Then how do we beat them?" Neji asked.

"We'll show you!" Hayate and Tenten said at the same time. They closed their eyes and began to glow.

"Shiou, Kouju, Seiryuu, I call upon you to fight," Tenten said. **(I got the idea for Shiou and Kouju from St. Dragon Girl and I got Seiryuu from Fushigi Yuugi.) **

"Kiryuu, come to my aid," Hayate said. There was a bright light that caused the ninjas to look away. When they looked back there were four dragons flying in front of the six foot wolf. The largest dragon was silver colored. Right next to the dragon was a golden colored one, followed by dragon the color of the sky. They were all by Tenten's side. By Hayate's side was an emerald colored dragon. The ninjas couldn't help by stare at the dragons.

"They're beautiful," Hinata said. The others could only nod silently still admiring the beauty of the creatures before them. They were broken out of their trances when they heard Tenten's voice say, "Kouju, go and set up a barrier to protect the others. Shiou, Seiryuu, I'm sure you two have been waiting to fight."

"I'm sure you've also been waiting for a fight too, Kiryuu," Hayate told the dragon next to him. After that Shiou, Seiryuu, and Kiryuu went to fight the three wolves. Kouju went over to the others and set up a barrier like her mistress had ordered.

The ninjas could only watch the dragons battle the wolves. Tenten and Hayate stood there watching their dragons and occasionally slashing at the enemy. After several minutes the wolves were defeated. The dragons stood there waiting for their respective master's orders.

"That was so cool!" Kiba and Naruto said at the same time.

"This is my first time seeing a real dragon before," Shino said.

"Perhaps we should introduce them to you," Tenten said. Then she pointed to the silver one and said, "Shiou," the golden one, "Kouju," and finally the sky blue one, "and Seiryuu."

"This is my dragon, Kiryuu," Hayate said standing right next to the emerald colored dragon.

"They're so pretty," Ino said.

"I can't believe they're actually real," Sakura said.

"What else can they do?" Shikamaru asked interested.

"_Would you like us to show what we can do humans?_" a strong masculine voice asked them. The sound of the voice surprised the ninjas.

"Who said that?" Temari asked. Tenten pointed to the silver dragon next to her.

"They can talk?" Kankuro asked.

"_Of course, it is how we communicate with our summoners,_" a female voice replied.

"That would be Kouju," Tenten said.

"Perhaps we should just show you what the dragons are capable of," Hayate said.

They agreed and the beginning of the show of the dragons' skills began. The dragons began to glow and the ninjas had to turn away. When they turned back standing before them were three males and a female. One of the males had beautiful silver hair and the same color but slightly darker eyes. Another one of the males had beautiful sky blue hair and eyes. The last male had amber colored hair and eyes. The female had golden colored hair and eyes. All of them had the same porcelain skin and catlike eyes. They seemed perfect and their beauty was ethereal.

"Who are they?" Sakura asked.

"These are the dragons that were here just now. This is one of their skills," Tenten said.

"I'm sure you can figure out who's who," Hayate said. The dragons continued showing their skills to the ninjas. Once they were done the dragons disappeared going back to the place they called home. Everyone went their separate ways after that. Tenten took her younger siblings and made them take a nap.

Afterwards Tenten decided to go the Purifying Grounds. There she stood under the waterfall allowing the water to slide down her bare skin. After she finished she changed and went to the Prayer Room. There she checked the barriers to make sure that there were no damage. She also added more protection to it.

After making sure that the barriers were fine Tenten went to her siblings' rooms. When she got there she saw that they were already awake. She decided to play with them. As she and her siblings made her way to the play room they encountered Neji, Hinata, Lee, Naruto, and Lee.

"Would you guys like to come with us?" Tenten asked.

"Where are you going Tenten-chan?" Hinata asked.

"We're going to the play room since these guys want to play," Tenten answered.

"That would be fun," Hinata said.

"I agree with Hinata-chan," Naruto said.

"I guess I'll go," Neji said.

"I will also go so that I can spread youthfulness to these youthful children," Lee said.

"Please don't scar my siblings," Tenten said after Lee said that. They made their way to the play room.

As they entered the play room Hinata, Naruto, Neji, and Lee couldn't help but stare at the room with awe. The room was almost like an indoor playground. They had a swing set, a slide set, and even rock climbing walls at the center of the room. At one corner there were tables and some drawing materials. At another corner there were building blocks and board games. Another corner had instruments and books. Even with all the things inside of it there were enough space for the children to run around and the room had soft mats that would cushion a child's fall so that they would not get hurt too badly.

"This place is huge!" Naruto said.

"It's huge because back then the kings would have lots of children so they needed a place that was safe for those children to play in," Tenten said. After she said that the door opened and Hayate, Mayumi, Natsuki, and Eriko entered the room.

"Well it seems that Eriko will have playmates," Natsuki said.

"Hello, Natsuki-nee-sama," Tenten said.

"It's been a while Ten," Natsuki said. The children played under the watchful supervision of the adults. However, they were also talking about other things. Naruto and Lee had decided to try and climb the rock wall. When a servant came to get them for dinner they thanked him and went to the dining room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** How did you guys like it? There wasn't much NejiTen in there but I promise that in the later chapters there will be more.

Who here wants a play room like the one Tenten's family has? I know I do especially if you add some electronic things like a Wii or Xbox Kinect.

**Note:** The reason Tenten called Natsuki her nee-sama isn't because they're related by blood but because they're old childhood friends and she's like a sister to Tenten. It's the same with the rest of the royal family of the Kingdom of the Sky.

Don't forget to review.

**Revised: 10-13-12**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot, Tenten's family, and the other original characters that I create.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

It had been two days since the Konoha and Suna ninjas arrived at the Kingdom of the Dragons. The ninjas from Kumo and Iwa had also arrived. Since everyone had been gathered the funeral would be held in five days. Tenten walked through the halls quickly. She was looking for her brother since she needed to tell him about her discovery about their mother's death. When Tenten found him he was in the training grounds. When he took a break Tenten approached him.

"Do you need anything from me?" Hayate asked his sister.

"I need to talk to you about something but we can't talk about it here," Tenten told him.

"Where then?" Hayate asked.

"Perhaps Otou-sama's office," Tenten said.

"Alright, let me get cleaned up first," he said.

"I'll meet you there," Tenten said. She then left heading for her father's office.

**~~~~~Several minutes later~~~~~**

Hayate and Tenten were in their father's office with Tenten telling Hayate of her discovery. Tenten had put up a barrier that prevented people from eavesdropping on them.

"Are you sure?" Hayate asked her.

"Yes, I even checked several times and there was no doubt that Okaa-sama was poisoned," Tenten told him.

"Who would want to poison her?" Hayate asked.

"I do not know. Okaa-sama did not have that many enemies since many people admired and liked her," Tenten said.

"Therefore, it is a hard case to solve," Hayate said.

"Yes, I want to keep this between us. I already told Otou-sama and he said that it would be best if we not spread this around. It would also make it easier look for the person if he or she allows himself or herself to be carried away with thinking that we did not notice their work," Tenten said.

"I see," Hayate said. They promised each other that they would not tell anybody of what they had just talked about. After that they went their separate ways. Hayate went back to his training while Tenten went to the garden.

At the garden Tenten saw the Konoha 12 and Sai talking.

"Hello everyone," Tenten greeted them. A chorus of hellos were heard as they replied.

"How do you guys like this place so far?" Tenten asked.

"It a beautiful place," Hinata said. The others agreed with Hyuuga heiress.

"Tenten, why didn't you tell us you were a princess?" Ino asked.

"Yeah I thought we were friends," Sakura said.

"We are friends Sakura. It's just that I really didn't want anybody to know about my other life. Part of the reason that decided to go to Konoha to be a ninja is because I didn't want to be treated as special just because I'm princess. Another reason was I wanted to get away from the life of a princess for a while," Tenten said.

"Why would you want to get away from the life of being a princess?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah you get all sorts of things like dresses, hair accessories, jewelry, and you also meet handsome men who are also usually pretty wealthy. You also don't have to do chores," Ino said.

"It's true that princesses get all sorts of dresses, accessories, jewelry, and that we get to meet young men it's not always fun and games. Princesses also have to do some things. Hayate and I have to help our father out with paperwork since it's teaching us on how it's like to be a future leader. Also people expect you to act a certain way when you are a princess. You must be proper, polite, elegant, regal, and refined. I'm pretty sure Hinata understands me somewhat since she is an heiress," Tenten said.

"Yes, people have great expectations of you," Hinata said.

"Those expectations are really high when you belong in a royal family. However, when you are a ninja or a normal civilian you do not have to worry so much about how you act," Tenten said.

"I see," Ino and Sakura said.

"Why did you pick Konoha?" Choji asked.

"Because I wanted to see how Okaa-sama felt," Tenten said.

"What do you mean by that?" Kiba asked.

"Okaa-sama was a Konoha ninja before she became priestess and before she married Otou-sama," Tenten said.

"Why was she in Konoha?" Shino asked.

"My grandfather through my mother's side was a Konoha ninja. He met my grandmother on a mission here," Tenten said. They continued to about random things afterwards. The ninjas soon became aware of a person walking over to them. All of them except Tenten were wary of it since they did not know who it was. They saw that it was a woman that looked sort of like Tenten. The woman had the same brown hair and eyes.

"Kaori-oba-sama!" Tenten exclaimed as she stood up and went over to the woman.

"Hello Tenten," the woman said.

"I glad to see you again," Tenten said.

"Yes, so am I. I wished we could have had this reunion under happier circumstances though," Kaori said.

"So do I," Tenten said.

"You've grown up to be so beautiful, Tenten. You are so much like your mother," Kaori told her.

"Thank you," Tenten said. Then she asked, "Will you be helping the purification and ceremonies for the funeral?"

"Of course, I am the sister of the deceased and I am also a priestess. You are in charge of the purification and ceremonies aren't you Tenten?" Kaori asked.

"Yes, I'll be really happy to have your help," Tenten told her aunt. Tenten then introduced her aunt with her friends. Then she decided to go with her aunt to where her mother's body was held until the funeral.

When Kaori saw her sister's body tears escaped her eyes. "She looked so healthy the last time I saw her," Kaori said.

"Okaa-sama suddenly became ill and nobody knew what with," Tenten told her aunt.

"It is unusual that Reiko-nee-sama to die like this. She has always been a healthy person," Kaori said.

"You think that somebody could have decided to kill her?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, somehow I get that feeling. After all Reiko-nee-sama is still quite young and ever since we were children she was always quick to recover from illnesses and sickness," Kaori said.

"I also think that it's strange how Okaa-sama suddenly died," Tenten told her aunt. She saw what her aunt was doing and asked, "Are you checking to see if you're suspicions were correct?"

"Yes, and it seems they were," Kaori said.

"I also checked when I had a feeling that something was wrong with her death," Tenten said.

"The amount of poison within her body was a great amount. I believe that the poison was a weak one where a huge amount was necessary in order to kill somebody. Therefore, somebody wanted to make this look like an illness so that nobody would suspect it was a poisoning," Kaori said.

"Is that so?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, somebody must have put a lot of thinking into this plan," Kaori said.

"Can you please keep your findings a secret Kaori-oba-sama? This way it is easier to find the culprit since that person will most likely allow themselves to relax thinking that nobody knows," Tenten told her.

"Alright, I guess I can see what you are trying to do. Does anybody besides us know about this?" Kaori said.

"Only Otou-sama and Hayate," Tenten replied. They decided to tell the king and Hayate of their more recent findings and begin their own secret search for the culprit who killed the queen.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm really sorry for the late update. It's just that I've had a Writer's Block for this story. I hoped that you liked this chapter. The romance will most likely come soon.

Please don't forget to leave a review.

**Revised: 10-13-12**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot and Tenten's family.

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

That night Tenten could not sleep because she could not stop thinking about the new discoveries they had found regarding her mother's death. She decided to have a little walk in the garden. When she reached the garden she saw her brown haired teammate. She approached him and asked, "Why are you still awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Neji said.

"I'm having a hard time sleeping," Tenten replied.

"I see," Neji said.

"What about you? Why are you still not asleep?" Tenten asked.

"I wanted to practice my forms a little," Neji answered her.

"That seems just like you Neji," Tenten said smiling a bit.

"Although I cannot practice that much here since I do not want to destroy the garden," Neji said.

"Would you like me to show you a practice ground?" Tenten asked.

"Sure," Neji said.

"Well then follow me," Tenten said. Neji obediently followed without a word. After a few minutes of walking in silence Neji decided to ask a question that had been on his mind.

"Why did you not tell me anything?" Neji asked.

"About what?" Tenten asked.

"About you being a princess," Neji said.

"I already told all of you the reason didn't I," Tenten replied.

"I thought that you trusted me," Neji said.

"I do Neji but the secret about me being a princess was a secret that I really wanted to keep," Tenten said.

"Did you think that I would tell everyone about your secret?" Neji asked.

"I know that you would never tell anyone Neji but I just really wanted to live my life as a normal girl. I thought that once I told you would start treating me like a princess," Tenten told him.

"You're the only girl I know that would not like to be treated like a princess," Neji told her.

"I guess you're right but I guess that's because I know what it's like to be a real princess. There were times where I would feel suffocated by my position. I was always told to act a certain way. When I went to Konoha to become a ninja I was really happy because I didn't have to behave in the same manner as I had to here," Tenten said.

"Then which one is the real you? The Tenten that is a princess or the Tenten that is a kunoichi?" Neji asked.

"I guess you can say both because I lived two different lives, a life as a princess and a life as a kunoichi. I could never abandon either of them because both lives have given me special things. My life as a princess has given me my family and my life as a kunoichi has given me my friends," Tenten said.

"What will you do from now on?" Neji asked.

"What do you mean?" Tenten asked.

"I overheard some of the servants talking about the fact that there needs to be a new head priestess. Your mother was the old one and you're the heir are you not?" Neji said.

"That's right my mother was the previous priestess and I'm the next one," Tenten said.

"So what will you do stay here and be a priestess or go back to Konoha and be a kunoichi?" Neji asked.

"I still do not know I really wish to go back to Konoha but I also have my duties here. Besides my siblings a still pretty young and they have lost their mother. I want to take care of them as they grow up because I promised my mother and I want to," Tenten said. Then as they big grass field with some targets Tenten said, "This is the training field. Feel free to use it," Tenten said.

"Thank you for showing me to where it is," Neji said.

"I should be going now," Tenten said as she turned around but as she began to walk Neji stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Stay here with me for a bit," Neji said. Tenten decided that it would be best to do as Neji wished and so she turned around and faced him.

Once Tenten faced him Neji engulfed her in a hug which surprised Tenten. "I missed you," Neji said.

"I missed you too," Tenten said returning the hug. They then decided to sit on the field. Both of them sitting right next to each other.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were leaving on a mission after your other one?" Neji asked her.

"I guess Tsunade-sama told you guys it would be mission. Truth be told I didn't really think I would be leaving that soon after my mission but when I got home there was a letter with the seal of the royal family waiting for me so I quickly read it. When I finished reading it I quickly headed to Tsunade-sama's and told her that I wanted to go somewhere for a while. She showed me that she also got a letter therefore she allowed me to go. Once she gave me permission I left as quickly as possible," Tenten said.

"Why?" Neji asked.

"The letter told me that my mother's condition had worsened. She had not been feeling well since a month after the youngest twins' birth. I was worried about her therefore I wanted to leave as soon as possible," Tenten said.

"I see," Neji said. There was a few moments of silence before Tenten decided to break it.

"What did you feel when you learned that I was a princess?" Tenten asked.

"I was very surprised," Neji told her.

"I see. I guess many people would be surprised to see the tomboyish Tenten all dressed up as a princess," Tenten said.

"I guess you're right but I thought that you looked really beautiful," Neji said which caused Tenten to blush.

"Thank you," Tenten told him. There was another moment of silence.

"Tenten/Neji," Neji and Tenten said at the same time.

"You go first," Tenten said.

"No its ladies first," Neji said.

"Alright, well…" Tenten said.

"What is it Tenten?" Neji asked.

"Ilikeyou," Tenten said hurriedly.

"What?" Neji asked.

"I like you," Tenten said a little slower this time with a blush on her face.

"I also like you Tenten," Neji replied with a blush on his face also. He was really happy that Tenten felt the same way he did. He then placed his hand on her face and went in closer to her. He then placed his lips on top of hers giving her a kiss. At first Tenten was surprised but she soon kissed back wrapping her arms around Neji's neck. Due to lack of her both of them had to separate. After several minutes Tenten told Neji that she wanted to go back to her room. Neji told Tenten that he would escort her there. Once they reached Tenten's room they said good night and shared a quick kiss.

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><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the late update but it's just that I was busy and when I was finally not busy I got a writer's block for this story. I hope that you guys can forgive me.

That was a chapter consisted mainly on conversation. How did you like it? Tenten and Neji got to have a little alone time together and they were able to confess their feelings to each other. You might think I'm rushing the romance but I don't think that's the case. After all both of them spent time together when they were in Konoha so they might have developed feelings for each other then.

Thank you to all those who reviewed the previous chapters.

Anyway please don't forget to review. Reviews give my motivation.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the plot, Tenten's family, the Kingdom of the Dragons, and Doushi.

**Note:** Thank you to everyone who alerted, favorited, and reviewed this story. It really means a lot to be. I hope that you will continue to read this story.

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**~~~~~Several Days Later ~~~~~**

It was finally time for the Queen Reiko's funeral. Everyone from other kingdoms that were invited was present. The ninjas from Konoha had known that they would be attending a funeral therefore they brought along black clothes proper for a funeral. It was tradition that the normal people were allowed to see the ceremony. It would be held as usual at the Head Priestess's temple also known as the Temple of the Dragon King which was extremely close to the palace. This day was a solemn day for everyone and everyone was dressed in black. Although the priestesses were not wearing black clothing.

That day as the ninjas ate there breakfast along with the King and his children they noticed that Tenten was not there. After a while Ino said, "If you don't mind me asking, where is Tenten?"

"Tenten is already at the Temple of the Dragon King. She is getting ready for the purification and ceremony. We will be escorting the body there but during the purification only the Priestesses will be allowed to watch and everyone else will be waiting. When it is time for the ceremony everyone will be allowed to watch," Hayate said. After that there was silence. Once they finished eating they got ready for the funeral. Everyone changed into their black clothes and they went to the meeting point which was just outside where the Queen's body was held. Once everyone was ready they made their way to the temple. It was a relatively short trip as the temple was nearby.

When they reached the temple the ninjas saw Tenten. She was in the middle of a group of priestesses; one who Neji recognized was her aunt Kaori, standing at the bottom of the steps to the temple. She was dressed in traditional priestess clothing but had a hair ornament. The hair ornament had a design Dragon's Blossom in the middle and was surrounded by dragons as if protecting it and the ornament also had bells hanging off the edges. **(If you guys have seen or read Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles her hair ornament is sort of like Princess Tomoyo's.) **Once the carriers of the casket where the body was held arrived she nodded her head. Then she and the other priestesses turned and headed up the stairs. They entered the temple and after several minutes the men that carried the body inside exited and the doors to the temple closed.

After almost an hour of waiting the doors to the temple opened signaling that the purification was over and soon people went up the stairs to get a closer look of the ceremony. Of course the royal family, their guests and the nobles were up front. Once everyone was settled the priestesses came out in two lines. They made some sort of pathway then the men came up carrying the casket and were followed by Tenten who was holding two fans and had a shawl with dragon designs on it. Once the casket was set down Tenten kneeled and the other priestesses moved about and got to their places. Tenten then said some words and summoned all her dragons. The citizens did not seem at all fazed but this as if this was natural for the ceremony which the ninjas had a feeling it was. After several more seconds Tenten stood up and began to dance. As she danced the shawl followed her movements and the dragons as well seemed to dance along with her. The other priestesses also danced along with her. The people who were seeing this for the very first time and even those who were seeing it again could help but be mesmerized but the graceful, elegant, and refined movements of the priestesses especially Tenten. After several minutes of dancing Tenten and the others stopped and kneeled once again. Tenten began to pray,

"Almighty king of the heavens, Dragon King, heed my prayer. Allow this noble soul to rest in peace. Guide and allow it passage into your almighty kingdom. May this soul forever rest in peace."

Once the prayer was over everyone bowed their heads, even the ninjas who were taught what to do. After that they then began to go to cemetery of the royal family members. Tenten was at the head and the priestesses surrounded the casket. Once they reached their destination everyone was allowed to leave a flower on the casket before it was lowered to the earth. The flower giving took quite some time as many of citizens also gave their flowers. Once it was done the casket was lowered into the earth and was buried. People stayed there until it was fully covered and even once that was done they stayed for a while. One by one people went back to their homes until the only ones there were the royal family, the priestesses, and their guests. After several more minutes they headed back. Tenten and the priestesses would be heading back to the temple to change out of the priestess clothing.

Once Tenten was out of her priestess clothing she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The purification and ceremony had gone on without any mistakes. She felt somebody come up to her. "You were great Tenten," the person said.

"Thank you, Kaori-obaa-sama," Tenten said.

"We should go back to the palace, I'm sure that your family and friends are waiting for you," Kaori said.

"Yes," Tenten said. She then followed her aunt outside the temple where guards were waiting to escort them back to the palace. Once they arrived the guards bowed and left.

"The ceremony was perfect Tenten," King Tatsuo said to his eldest daughter she greeted him.

"Thank you, Otou-sama," Tenten said. After that she began to talk to her friends.

"You were really great out there Tenten," Ino said.

"Yeah, it was really beautiful," Sakura said.

"Your performance was extremely youthful Tenten," Lee said.

"Thanks you guys. I was sort of nervous that I would mess something up. I'm really glad that I didn't," Tenten said.

"Did you really think that you would make a mistake? You've been practicing that dance every day since you learned that you would be doing the ceremony and besides you've learned and practiced that dance before," Hayate said.

"Even if I practice it every day doesn't mean I won't make some sort of silly mistake," Tenten told her twin. They continued to talk about how Tenten did a wonderful job at the ceremony. However, in the back of Tenten's mind she was still wondering who had poisoned her mother. She wanted to find the person soon so that she could ask whoever it was why he/she had decided to poison her beloved mother.

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><p><strong>AN:** I'm so sorry for not updating in such a long time (almost two months). It's just that I've been so busy. I've had a Science Fair project to do, a math project, a paper to write, and normal homework. I've also had Odyssey of the Mind which is a team competition. The competition was on March 3rd and my team got fourth place. I'm sad that we won't be moving on to state but at least we placed. I've also had Match Counts competition. I also have voice and piano lessons on Saturdays. The Saturdays of January and February I've been at school trying to finish up stuff for Odyssey competition and then I had to go to voice and piano so that was quite hectic. Now that the competitions are done I have some free time and since Spring Break started I might be able to update one or two more chapters this week but I also have my other stories to take care of.

Anyway I hope that you liked this chapter. Don't forget to review.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the characters I've created and those that I may create and the plot.

**A/N: **Thank you very much for all those who participated in my survey. It was really helpful with my math project.

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

It was several days after Queen Reiko's funeral and Tenten busied herself with finding clues on who had poisoned her mother. She knew that it had to be someone in the palace as outsiders would have a hard time to getting inside the palace. She knew that the people that worked in the kitchen were suspects as they were the ones with access to the food that would be brought to the queen. Tenten knew that her father kept a record of the people that worked for them. Her father would put down when they had begun working for them and in the case of those who had decided to quit, the day they quit. So Tenten asked her father for the records which he gave her without much questions knowing what his daughter was up to. Hayate also helped out as much as he could. Kaori had decided to stay longer and helped Tenten with finding her older sister's killer.

All the ninjas (sans the ones that came from Konoha and Suna) went back to their respective villages. The Kazekage and the Hokage had decided that they would stay for a little bit longer; of course the teenagers were more than happy as they would be able to spend more time with Tenten. However, most of the time Tenten would be inside the library, the office or in the Prayer Room and when they asked her about it she would just reply that she had something to take care of. When she was not in those rooms most of the time she was taking care of her siblings and would sometimes space out. They also noticed how Hayate was the same as his twin, whenever he passed by he would always look like he was deep in thought.

That night Neji had decided to get a little training done. When he arrived at the training grounds that Tenten had showed him several days back he saw her there in her usual ninja attire. She stopped her training and faced him.

"I haven't been able to take to you today. Sorry I've been very busy," Tenten said.

"Busy with what exactly?" Neji asked her.

"Some things I need to do for my father," Tenten replied.

"I see," Neji said.

"Would you like to have a spar with me?" Tenten asked smiling at Neji.

"Sure," Neji said. He went several spaces away from Tenten and got into his battle stance. They counted down from three and once it reached zero both of them began attacking. Tenten rained weapons down at Neji but he easily blocked those with his Kaiten. He then began attacking Tenten with Jyukens but as Tenten had been Neji's sparring partner for a long time she dodged them easily. Both of them did not know how much time passed but after a long time they stopped. Tenten went to collect all the weapons that she had used.

"I should probably get to sleep and so should you," Tenten said after making sure that she had left none of her weapons.

"We should," Neji said.

"Good night," Tenten said to Neji walking towards him and giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll walk you to your room," Neji said as Tenten was walking away.

"There's no need I'll be fine. You should get to your own room and get some sleep," Tenten said.

"I want to walk you to your room," Neji said. Knowing Neji's stubborn attitude Tenten decided to just let him walk her to her room so that they would not have to stay out too long.

"Alright," she said. Neji went over to her and they began walking to Tenten's room.

Once they reached her room. Neji gave her a quick kiss and said, "Good night."

"Good night," Tenten said with a smile and she went into her room.

**~~~~~Several Hours Later~~~~~**

Tenten was awoken by a scream. Quickly putting the robe over her sleeping garments Tenten opened her door and saw that Hayate whose room was next to hers was also coming out of his room. Nodding to each other they made their way to Akiko's room which was where the scream had come from no doubt it was Akiko that had screamed. As they ran Tenten into Akiko's room, which was only three doors across from her own room, noticed that it was still dark and believed that it might still be very early in the morning. In Akiko's room they saw their little sister up against the wall with a man holding a dagger over her. Berating herself for not bringing a weapon Tenten quickly formed a barrier over her sister just as the man was bringing the dagger down. The dagger bounced back and out of the man's hands. Hayate quickly ran over to the man and used a spell to bind him. Tenten went over to her little sister just as her father, several guards, and some of the ninja arrived at the doorway. Akiko was sobbing and as soon as Tenten reached her Akiko wrapped her arms around her elder sister. Kneeling down and hugging her sister back Tenten whispered comforting words to her. She could hear her father ordering the guards to take the man away into the dungeons and to watch over him. He then went over to Akiko who was with Tenten.

"What happened Akiko?" the king asked his daughter softly.

"I *hic* was having a *hic* hard time *hic* sleeping and so *hic* I decided I wanted to *hic* go to *hic* Tenten-nee-sama's room *hic* and then *hic* as I was *hic* walking to the door *hic* that man came behind me. *hic* Then I screamed *hic* and ran away," Akiko said in between hiccupping sobs.

"Shh, it's okay now. You're going to be safe elder sister's here," Tenten said.

"Don't worry Akiko, that man won't be bothering you anymore," King Tatsuo said to his second daughter. He then ordered the guards to go and check on the other children. Bowing the guards left.

"Why don't we get you some tea so that you can calm down and then we'll go to sleep in my room?" Tenten asked her sister. Akiko merely nodded still crying. Excusing themselves from their father and the others Tenten and Akiko made their way to the kitchen to get some tea. As Akiko was sipping tea Hayate approached Tenten.

"How is she?" Hayate asked.

"She's shaken by what happened. Are the other children alright?" Tenten said.

"Yeah, nothing happened to them," Hayate replied.

"That's good. Do you think the person behind this is the same person who killed mother," Tenten said saying the second part in a whisper.

"Most likely, I think it would be best if the children sleeps with us until we can make sure it's safe," Hayate said.

"Alright. I'll take care of the girls are you fine with taking care of the boys?" Tenten said.

"Yeah," Hayate said. Once Akiko was done with her tea they made their way to the sleeping chambers. Tenten went to Megumi's room to pick her up and had one of the guards carry Megumi's crib into her room. Hayate did the same with Takumi. The sleeping chambers were relatively empty now but there were guards that were situated outside of Tenten and Hayate's rooms to make sure that the princes and princesses were safe. Akiko managed to fall asleep again but Tenten couldn't and so until dawn Tenten stayed awake watching over her little sisters. She had a feeling that something bad was about to happen soon.

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><p><strong>AN: **How did you guys like this chapter? Sorry that the update took a while. I just had three projects to finish, finals to study for, and my laptop charger decided to break again. I'll be going on vacation so I probably won't be able to update for a month. However, I'll try to get a chapter in before I leave but I still have to packing to do and I have two other stories but right now I have already updated one of my stories so I only have one more left.

Please don't forget to leave a review. Reviews give me motivation.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. However, I do own the plot, Tenten's family, the Kingdom of the Dragons, and all the original characters I have created or will create.

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

That night Tenten only managed to get several hours of sleep. Getting ready for the day she turned on the water for the bath and while waiting for it to fill up she picked out her clothes and accessories. When the bath was filled she stripped and took a bath. After several minutes she got out, dried herself, put on her clothes, and did her hair. Noticing that Akiko and Megumi were still asleep, she went into their rooms and got their clothes ready. When she got back into her room both were still asleep and she decided that it would be best to put a protective spell on both of them. When they awoke, Tenten greeted them and told them that she had to do her work. She fetched a maid that she trusted and told her to give the two a bath. After that she went to see if Hayate was awake. She knocked on his door and he opened. He was ready and was only waiting for the two boys to wake up. Tenten went up to her little brothers and put the same protective spell as she had put on the girls. She then went to each boy's room and got their clothes. She left the rest to Hayate and told him they would see each other at breakfast which was only an hour away.

Tenten made her way to the Prayer Room. Along the way she had passed by the training field and saw that Hinata and Naruto were there. What was more was that they were kissing.

_I guess I shouldn't interrupt them and I probably shouldn't tell Hiashi or Neji about this_, Tenten thought.

She continued on her way and passed by another training field. There she found Neji training. She decided to call out to him. Neji stopped and looked at her.

"Good morning," Tenten said as she walked up to him.

"Good morning," Neji said. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips and Tenten responded eagerly. What they didn't know what the fact that the King was passing by and saw them.

"That is an interesting sight to see in the morning," King Tatsuo said. He laughed when Tenten and Neji immediately jumped apart.

"Good morning Otou-sama/Your Highness," Neji and Tenten said as they bowed to the king.

"Good morning, don't worry I am not angry with you two but it would have been nice to know that you were seeing someone Tenten," the king said.

"I apologize for not telling you but with everything that is going on I thought it would be best not to bother you Otou-sama," Tenten said.

"Well I thank you for your consideration. Tenten I wish to speak to you can come with me?" he said.

"Of course," Tenten said.

"I will be borrowing my daughter for a while," the king said to Neji.

"It's alright," Neji said. Tenten and the king told Neji that they would be seeing him at breakfast and then departed.

When they reached the King's office room the King told Tenten to put up a barrier that made things soundproof. She did as her father told. Once that was done her father told her to sit.

"How is your search going?" the king asked.

"I have found that the people who could do this would most likely be somebody that is within this palace, somebody that is close to us," Tenten told him.

"I see," he said.

"So the number of people is quite vast. There are the councilors, the servants, the cooks, the number is quite big and it will be hard to find an answer," she said.

"We should get a little bit more clues once we interrogate the assassin," the king said.

"I hope that he will be able to lead us closer to Okaa-sama's killer. I worry that if we don't catch the person soon then our lives will be in danger," Tenten said.

"Yamanaka Inoichi is helping out with the interrogation. Last night before I went to sleep I talked to the Hokage, she is willing to stay here and lend us the ninjas here as help. We said that they would be helpful with protection and rounds. I guess we should pay them quite a lot once this is all over," the king said.

"Yes we should," Tenten told her father. After that her father allowed her to go her own way. She went to the Prayer Room as she had originally planned and began looking into the past. However, she did not get very far as it was time for breakfast. She went to breakfast and met her family, her friends, the clan heads, and the Hokage there.

Just as they were finishing breakfast there was an earthquake that lasted half a second. However, afterwards Tenten was not feeling good. She felt as if she was suffocating and had really bad feeling.

Hayate noticed that Tenten did not look good she was breathing hard and that she had her arms around herself. She looked like she would faint anytime.

"Tenten are you alright?" Hayate asked her. She did not answer.

"Tenten, are you alright?!" Hayate asked a little louder this time. Everyone heard him and were now looking at Tenten who was still in the same state.

"The seal has considerably weakened," Tenten said.

"The seal?" Hayate asked. Then after a while he understood.

"Are you sure?" he asked Tenten.

"Yes, there is a lot of dark energy and that earthquake just now was part of the seal breaking," Tenten answered.

"Is he being released?" King Tatsuo asked.

"No, not yet the seal is not completely broken but he is releasing large amounts of dark energy. The shear amount of it is making me sick," Tenten said.

"_She is right_," somebody said. They all looked up and saw that there were five dragons. The three that were Tenten's dragons, Hayate's dragon, and one they had never seen before. This dragon was yellow with little blue stripes and blue eyes.

"_He is awakening_," Shiou said.

"_It will not be long now before he has fully recovered all of his power and the seal will be completely broken_," Kouju informed them.

"How long do we have?" Tenten asked them.

"_Most likely only two days_," Seiryuu replied.

"Can we fix the seal?" Hayate asked.

"_You can try but most likely you will not be able to fix the whole seal and you will only slow him down a day or so_," Kiryuu answered.

"The seal should not have broken it was meant to keep him dormant and sealed. He had never awoken or broken the seal in the five hundred years he has been sealed," the King said.

"_It was not him who broke part of the seal. He was asleep only moments ago. When part of the seal broke he awoke. It was a human who broke the seal and ultimately awakened him_," the unknown dragon said.

"Do you know who he is Raiden?" the king asked the dragon.

"_Unfortunately we do not know who he is but most likely the one that is trying to kill the royal family and the main priestess_," the dragon, Raiden, said.

"Okaa-sama, he was the one who poisoned Okaa-sama," Tenten said.

"_Most likely, he wishes to kill anyone who may be able to fix or reseal that creature. This lists include the main priestess and the royal family_," Shiou said.

"We have to go to the seal we have to try and fix it," Tenten said.

"_If that is what you want then we will help but remember it will most likely only delay him_," Kouju said.

"That's fine during that time we will be able to get people to safety and possible find a way to destroy him or reseal him with a much stronger seal," Tenten said.

"_Very well, summon us when you need us and we will be by your side,_" Shiou said. The dragons then turned into little orbs and disappeared.

By now the ninjas were confused and Tenten, Hayate, and the king knew that they had to explain everything to them.

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><p><strong>AN:** How did you guys like it? I'm extremely sorry for not updating in more than two months. I was in the Philippines and my brother and parents were hogging my computer. Also when we got back I had a writer's block and I also didn't feel like writing. Then school started and I got really busy. Again I'm really sorry for not updating in such a long time.

Please review. Reviews give me motivation and I love to read what you guys think.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** **I own nothing but the plot, Tenten's family, and all the other original characters I have created or will create.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

Tenten, Hayate, and King Tatsuo took turns explaining the situation they explained about how the Queen was poisoned and how they were looking for the killer. They also informed the ninjas about how Dragon of Darkness. Once they were done the ninjas were quiet absorbing the information they had just been told. Finally Naruto broke the silence.

"So there is this huge, evil dragon sealed not far from here and you believe that the person who damaged the seal also killed you mom?" Naruto asked. Tenten nodded.

"Then let's just look for the beat him and then destroy the dragon!" Naruto exclaimed.

"If it were that simple don't you think they would have done it by now, idiot," Sasuke said.

"What was that, teme?" Naruto asked. They then began to argue.

"That's enough you two!" Sakura shouted. The two instantly went silent not wanting to face Sakura's wrath.

"Your spirit is nice Naruto, but Sasuke is right. It's not that simple. The man is sneaky and he makes it very hard to track him. He really knows how to cover up his tracks. Also we have not yet found a way to destroy the dragon. If there had already been a way it would have been done hundreds of years ago," Tenten said.

"However, the dragons said that we still have several days until the seal completely breaks and if we fix the seal it should hold for several more days. That should give us enough time to evacuate the people in the city and figure out a way to defeat the dragon," Hayate said.

"That is true," King Tatsuo said.

"I have a question," Shino asked.

"Go ahead," Tenten said.

"How do you know that the person who killed your mother is the same person who wishes to unleash the Dragon of Darkness?" Shino asked.

"That's because he wishes to get rid of those who have the ability to reseal or be able to fix the seal to the point where it will not weaken for a several hundred years," Tenten replied.

"That was most likely the reason why he had sent people to try and kill Akiko and Daiki. He went after them because they were the easiest to try and eliminate. Had he been successful he would have most likely gone after Takumi and Megumi and then afterwards Tenten. Finally, he would have gone after Otou-sama and I," Hayate said.

"Truth be told I believe Tenten would be the highest on his kill list. However, because she is a trained ninja he wanted to weaken her first. Somehow the killer knows that Tenten would be emotionally distraught if the anymore of her family is killed," King Tatsuo said.

"But why is Tenten the highest?" Ino asked.

"Because she is powerful and she is the High Priestess. He knows that she is the one most likely to be able to defeat and reseal the Dragon of Darkness," Hayate said.

"I have a something to ask of you Hokage of Konoha and Kazekage of the Suna," King Tatsuo said.

"What would that be?" Tsunade asked.

"I wish for you to help evacuate the people and to place several guards around the members of the royal family. Of course I will pay you as soon as everything is complete. It will be paid as you deem fit. Do you accept?" King Tatsuo said.

"Very well," Gaara said after thinking for a while.

"I accept," Tsunade said. King Tatsuo then began to give orders about how things were to go about. He said that he would make an announcement later that day about the dragon. For the time being Tenten and Hayate decided that they would go to where the Dragon was sealed. The Konoha Twelve plus Sai and the Sand Siblings went with them.

**~~~~~Dragon of Darkness's Seal~~~~~**

As they got closer the ninjas could see a shrine. Once they stopped Tenten touched her head as if she had a headache.

"Are you all right?" Neji asked.

"I'm fine. It's just the pure aura of evil is sickening," Tenten said.

"I can feel all the darkness that is leaking out. It's quite a big amount," Hayate said.

"You're right. Let's get this over with quickly. I want to get out of here the aura of evil sickens me," Tenten said.

"Let's go," Hayate said.

"Shiou, Kouju, Seiryuu!" Tenten called.

"Kiryuu!" Hayate called. A bright flash of light appeared and when it subsided four dragons were floating in its place.

As soon as Tenten and Hayate stepped closer to the shrine several black animals came out. They were wolves, hawks, extremely large cats, and bears.

"I guess it wouldn't be easy," Hayate said.

"Yeah, everyone be careful those are Creatures of Darkness. It's not very easy to defeat them. Use those tags I gave you when we headed out attach them to your weapons before you fight," Tenten said as she and Hayate drew their swords. The ninjas did as they were told and the fight began. Tenten and Hayate's dragon fought alongside them. They slashed at the creatures with their talons and used their powers to restrict the movements of the animals making it easier for the ninjas, Tenten, and her brother to fight them.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru said as he used his kekkai genkai to restrain one of the bears.

"You can say that again," Temari said as her tag covered kunais imbedded themselves on the bear.

All the others were also using their own techniques to fight the animals. Naruto was using his kage bunshins to imbed several of his kunais onto a wolf. Hinata and Neji had put the tags on both of their palms and were using their clan's jutsus on cat. Ino and Choji were taking down a bear. Shino was using his bugs to restrict a hawk's movements while Kiba threw several kunai at it. Sakura punched the ground in front of a cat and it fell into the hole where Sasuke showered it with kunai. Sai was used his drawings to restrain a hawk and then used his tanto to destroy it. Gaara was using his sand to hold two of the three remaining hawks while Kankuro's puppets took care of destroying them. Hayate and his dragon, Kiryuu, took care of the last hawk. Tenten and her dragon, Seiryuu, fought against one of the wolves while her other two dragons, Shiou and Kouju, fought against one of the cats. Several minutes later all of the animals were killed. Tenten and Hayate nodded at each other and made their way up to the shrine. The others followed cautiously.

As they opened the door a kunai was thrown from one of the trees.

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><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the late update I was busy updating my Prince of Tennis story as I had a lot of ideas on that and also I was busy with school. So, how did you like this chapter?

I decided to try for a cliffhanger. I'll try to update as soon as I can.

Anyways please don't forget to leave a review. They provide me with motivation to keep on going.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot, Tenten's family, the Kingdom of the Dragons, and other characters that I have created or may create.

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

The kunai was deflected by Neji just in time. Everyone turned to him the kunai and quickly went to see where the person who could have thrown it was at.

"There's nobody here," Kiba said as looked at the tree the kunai had come from. When Neji and Hinata looked at the forest with their Byakugan it was only then that they realized that the forest was filled with some unknown energy and they could barely see Kiba through it.

"The forest is very strange. It's filled with an unknown force and it makes it hard to determine if there is a person in there or not," Neji said.

"Yes," Hinata said.

"That's because the forest is filled with celestial energy. It's one of the things that keeps majority of the Dragon of Darkness' dark energy from leaking out. Of course, it's not perfect but it's enough. It's why the original makers of the seal used this place. It is filled with lots of pure celestial energy and it gave them some power during the sealing. It is also called the Forest of the Past," Tenten told them.

"Celestial energy? Forest of the Past?" Ino asked.

"I'll explain while try and see if we can catch the one or ones who threw that kunai," Tenten said. The others nodded and followed her.

"Celestial energy is the energy that we use here. Of course we also have chakra but the priestesses, priests, the royal family, and few other people possess the ability to use this energy. It what makes us unique and what gives the ability to use our spells. Celestial energy is everywhere, in living things and nonliving things. However, the amount there is, is different. Here in the Kingdom of the Dragons and the Dragons' home there is lots of it. The first process to summoning a dragon requires the control of the celestial energy. Those who can control celestial energy can learn to control nature. It is similar to nature chakra but slightly different. Perhaps I can explain it in more detail when we are done with this. This forest is called the Forest of the Past because of the fact that it can actually show people their pasts. We have not found why but we believe it is because of the strong amount of celestial energy that it has," Tenten said as they jumped through the trees.

"Can celestial energy really do that?" Sakura asked.

"Perhaps, even us, who have lived in the Kingdom of the Dragons for many generations do not fully understand what the celestial energy can do. Perhaps the dragons know as they have had millennia more than us to study it but if they do they don't tell us anything, maybe they wish for us to figure out its secrets on our own. However, we know that celestial energy is powerful. It can bring back a person from the brink of death and heal wounds and injuries even normal healing jutsus cannot. It tires out the healer, though," Hayate said.

"They're gone," Tenten, who had allowed Hayate to answer Sakura's question, said. Everyone looked at her, who had stopped once she had said that. Hayate stopped also, closed his eyes and concentrated.

"You're right, I can't feel them anywhere," Hayate said.

"How do you guys know?" Sasuke asked.

"We are using the trees to feel the other people's presence," Tenten said.

"Using the trees?" Kiba asked.

"It's one of things that can be done with celestial energy. We should go back and finish what we had originally come here to do," Tenten said. Everyone followed her orders and headed back to the temple with Tenten and Hayate leading.

They reached the temple after several minutes and once again headed inside making sure to keep their guards up should anything happen. They approached the center which had nothing but a little table with several orbs on it. Tenten went up it.

"Somebody's been here," she said.

"What makes you say that?" Naruto asked.

"The orbs have been touched just recently," she said. She then proceeded to turn the orb on the far right, then the orb on the far left, and finally the orb in the middle. Once she finished a pedestal with a dragon figurine lifted up. She pushed down on its wings and a panel moved out from beneath the table.

"Shall we go?" Tenten asked. She then began to lead the way and everyone followed as she descended down the stairs that were unveiled. As they went down the sconces that were on the sides began to light. After going down several staircases they finally arrived at the bottom and there at their feet was a huge circular pattern. The pattern was beautiful, but you could clearly see that it there were some damages.

"Let's make this quick," Tenten said. She put her hands together, closed her eyes, and soon after she began emitting light. As she continued to emit the light some of the damages on the pattern began to disappear. After several minutes she stopped, breathing heavily from exertion. As she was about to fall, Neji, who was closest to her, caught her.

"Thank you," Tenten said.

"We should go. Can you take care of Tenten, Neji?" Hayate said. Neji merely nodded his head. Hayate began to lead the way back up and they left the underground seal. Once everyone exited the staircase table once again slid back into place, erasing any evidence of what lay underneath.

They left the temple and headed back to the palace. Neji carried Tenten who was exhausted from fixing the seal as much as she could. When they arrived at the palace, they went directly to report to the king. Once the report was finished, King Tatsuo told the ninjas to do as they wished until they were called.

Hayate and Tenten waited until the ninjas were gone. They began to talk of possible plans. However, after several minutes the king, noticing his eldest daughter's worn out state, ordered her to rest at least for the rest of the day. When Tenten began to argue, he cut her off saying that she would not as helpful exhausted and low on power as she would be fully rested and energized. Tenten knowing the truth in her father's words bid her father and brother farewell and then began to make her way to her room. Once Tenten had left, the king and Hayate decided to go to the library and see if they could find ways to permanently seal or destroy the Dragon of Darkness.

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><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the extremely late update. I've been really busy and I've been having a writer's block. Well, here it is the new chapter of Princess of the Kingdom of the Dragons. I hope you like it.

Don't forget to leave a review.


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